Thursday, October 28, 2010

In my constant quest for the perfect lipstick, I came across the Too Faced Lip of Luxury line of lipsticks. These lipsticks claim to be champagne-infused, creamy, shiny lipcolors that help smoothen the appearance of fine lines in the lips. This lipstick had me at hello the shiny diamond-like stone on the top of the lipstick cap:

The shade I tried is called Totally Nude. It's actually a shade darker than nude, which I think makes it more wearable, especially if you don't like the super nude, lips-blending-in-with-skin lip colors. This is especially nice for darker-skinned beauties because it won't wash you out.

swatch of Totally Nude

The shade is almost that perfect balance of brown and pink, neither tone being overpowering. On me, it has that my-lips-but-better look:

Totally Nude on lips

So what about the formula? It is creamy and moisturizing, but not as much as the MAC cremesheen formula lipsticks. I don't think it helped minimize the appearance of the lines in my lips, but my lips did feel nice and moist. As far as staying power, I did get a good 3 hours of wear, until I drank coffee and ate, after which I did have to reapply, but then again that happens with any lipstick I wear. Overall, the formula is nice, but I prefer the MAC lipsticks because of the formula, color range, and price tag.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

I know I have been a bit MIA this past week, but I was out of town for a few days and have just been busy with work and life, and getting over a cold. This week is Halloween week. I know tons of other bloggers and people who absolutely love Halloween and all the fun and ghouls it entails, but honestly, I am just not a Halloween person. Yes, I love dressing up and I love fun, costume makeup, but I refuse to spend tons of money on an outfit that will be worn for a few hours of my life, especially one that shows more skin than a Dancing With the Stars outfit. That, and I feel like Halloween is always so hyped up, and it never is as fun as it is made out to be.

So what am I doing this year? I am going to a party, wearing an old devil's costume from previous years (one that covers my arms and legs), and not having any expectations.

That being said, I wanted to let you know about fun Halloween makeup kits I saw at Sephora last week. With the Friends and Family sale going one now, it is a great time to pick one up! They have ones for Vampires, Devils, Cats, and more!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Hello friend! The Sephora Friends and Family sale has started! Yippee!!!

All the info is in the image above. I'll probably get some skin care and a few holiday makeup sets. What about you? And don't forget to use Ebates! Log in to Ebates first, then click on their link to Sephora in order to earn cash back on whatever you spend at Sephora! Want to learn more? Click here.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Why is it that products seem to run out at the same time? In a matter of 2 days, 3 of my daily use products finished:

1. Victoria's Secret Hand and Body Cream in Mango Temptation - I used VS lotions all the time and since I use them on my body, I already know they won't last forever. This one was a gift and I don't think I will repurchase this fragrance, as it was more fruity than I prefer, but I will definitely continue with my fave scents Love Spell and Amber Romance.

2. Korres Ginger and Vitamins Foundation - Yes, I know, you are tired of hearing how much I love this. It just means time to do some Korres shopping!

3. Korres Mango Butter Lipstick in Natural Purple - This lipstick feels like a lip balm but actually provides a bit of color...sort of like a lip tint. It is the creamiest, most moisturizing lip product I have ever used! I actually used this more to moisturize my lips than to add color, the color was just a bonus. And it has SPF 10!! It's not the most long lasting product out there, but definitely the most moisturizing lipstick I have ever come across! I will definitely repurchase and perhaps try out some other shades. Oooh...and if you are interested, they usually have great sets of these lipsticks for the holidays!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

I love candles. Candles used for decor, candles used for fragrance, candlelight dinners, and even the little oil-burners (well, there is usually a tea-light candle in there, right?).

So it won't come as a surprise that come fall, I find myself wanting to burn those little wicks buried inside of wax molds infused with the heartwarming scents of pumpkin, cinnamon, cookies, and even mint chocolate chip. Mint chocolate chip, you ask? Yes!

This is one of my recent finds at Bath and Body Works! Oooh I love that store! They have the most amazing selection of candles (and scented oils) including Homemade Cookies, Fireside, Holly Wreath, Vanilla Caramel....and tons more! I HIGHLY recommend checking out the selection before these limited seasonal fragrances disappear. They even have the cutest plug-in air fresheners!

If you have been following me for awhile, you know I recently moved, so naturally I have been a bit obsessed with home decor (another reason I went nuts for the candles). Since the hubby and I live in the city, and like most city apartments (think NYC), our place has no storage. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I have resorted to finding creative home storage solutions and one of my best finds was this over-the-door hook:

I found this at Home Goods....another new favorite store...and it was only $7.99!!! As you can see, there are 10 hooks....yup, 10!! Ok, I know I am overly excited but I saw these types of hooks at a few stores before getting this one, and they all had less than 10 hooks, and cost way more than $7.99! In any case, I really needed a place to store my pajamas, since I usually wear them a couple times before washing, and this was the best solution for me.

What are your fave home storage solutions? Where do you keep your PJs if you wear them more than once?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Are you looking for a great Indian outfit to attend a Diwali party or other event? Or perhaps just looking for a Bollywood outfit for Holloween? Well, I've got you covered!!

Head on over to Stylish Desi for all your Indian clothing needs. The term "Desi" stands for Indian, and this site was actually started by one of my good friends. They sell new and pre-owned Indian ethnic wear. So whether you are looking to buy a new outfit, or sell a fantastic outfit you don't want to wear again, it's a great site to browse through and do a little shopping. I also love reading their blog!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Even though I already had my dream wedding, I am still mesmerized by bridal wear and love seeing the latest bridal collections from the top Indian designers. (Ok, so please tell me I'm not the only one who does stuff like this!?)

So as I was browsing through designer Vikram Phadnis's bridal collection from earlier this year, I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous actress Sushmita Sen was looking as she strutted down the runway:

Even her makeup was impeccable....very appropriate for a bridal look and very age appropriate:

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I have been on a primer roll lately and have been trying out various face primers. Here is one I was trying out last week:

This is Sephora's Smoothing Primer for the face. For the record, I have not loved anything I have tried from the Sephora brand, even though thousands of people swear by their products. I think Sephora is a great store, but they should stick to carrying other brands instead of trying to produce cheaper versions. I did not change my mind after using this product.

The Pros: This is a silicon-based primer (that may be a CON for some of you), so it has that smooth, silky feeling to it. It is non-sticky and a little goes a long way. In terms of efficacy, this does provide a matte finish to the skin and any foundation or powder worn on top of the primer.

The Cons: This product sits on the skin instead of getting absorbed. Thus, after applying my foundation to this, I find that the foundation sort of slides around. I have to blend the foundation a little more than usual in order to get a smooth, even layer of foundation on my skin. Also, this primer did not help diminish the appearance of fine lines or help reduce pore size.

This primer also does not have SPF, which is good for photography, but bad for daily use.

Kajal Couture Rating: C-

Overall, I couldn't understand why this product had such a high rating on the Sephora website. It didn't work for me at all. Have you tried this?

Friday, October 8, 2010

If you like Stila, you may or may not be aware of their Friday Happy Hour deals on www.stilacosmetics.com. Every Friday, they have great deals, ranging from mega gifts with purchases to high discounts. Wouldn't it be great to combine these deals with another discount? Now you can!

Stila is now on Ebates, and their cashback percentage is 6%!

Ebates is an online portal which I have discussed before, but it has been awhile so thought I would mention it again. When shopping through a website like Stila, instead of going directly to the Stila website, you first go to Ebates. On the Ebates website, find the Stila Cosmetics site in their list of retailers, and click on the link for Stila Cosmetics. Then, shop as you normally would. Ebates has a tracking number associated with their link and when you make a purchase, they give you a percentage in cash back. In the case of Stila, you would get 6% back on whatever you spend! Ebates mails you a check every quarter as long as your balance is greater than $5.

Ok, you are thinking, is this for real? The answer is YES! I have been using Ebates for years to shop for everything from makeup to contact lenses to business cards, and I always get the listed percentage back as a check every quarter. The best part? There is no catch! No spam, no cost to join, just free money!

So how do you sign up? Just go to Ebates website, and register...it takes less than 5 minutes! If you use the link here, you and I both get $5 after you make your first purchase. That is an extra $5 in addition to whatever you earn for your first purchase! Of course, you can go straight to the Ebates site yourself, but why not click on my link and we both get $5!?!

So who is on Ebates? Stila, Smashbox, Beauty.com, Avon, YSL, Sephora, and TONS more! Check it out for yourself and happy shopping!

All through high school I used to wear Clinique's Almost Makeup. I thought it was the greatest invention in the world! It wasn't as thick as foundation but gave me the perfect amount of coverage! However, what I failed to realize back then was that the shade I wore was a bit too cool toned and pink for my olive skin. I'm not sure if Clinique has expanded their shade range or modified it since then, but overall I think their foundations lean more pink than yellow....and like Bobbi Brown, I believe more people lean yellow than pink (even if they do have patches of redness).

I think tinted moisturizers are a great product for the consumer, but like foundation, it is hard to find a formula you like. Some provide foundation-like coverage...some are lacking the "tinted" part of the product...some are too oily....some are too pink-toned....what's a gal to do? So I decided to play around with a few popular tinted moisturizers and see how the coverage compares to each other. I made a thick black line using a gel eyeliner and applied the various products over the line, just to show you how the coverage differs:

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

In this case, yes!! And no, I'm not talking about your DNA, I'm talking about the Stila One Step Correct!! This new primer contains 3 shades of color correctors in a DNA-looking swirl:

I still can't believe that I haven't told you about this new favorite of mine! It's incredible! So first off, the tri-color effect is supposed to help with the 3 main discoloration problems: green to neutralize redness, peach to brighten the skin tone, and lavender (the whitish looking shade) to counteract sallowness. Not only do the 3 colors actually do what they are supposed to, the primer formula is lightweight, is non-sticky, is hydrating, helps face makeup last all day long, AND it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and makes pores appear smaller!! For me, the smaller appearance of pores is the reason I love this on myself. It is this and the other positive factors that are the reason I keep using this on clients of all ages!

Friday, October 1, 2010

What did we do without internet? I can't even remember what I did before the phenomenon of online shopping! It's not just the goodies I that I look forward to, but I also love getting samples. However, I admit that most of the time, the little packets get thrown into the depths of a makeup container and never see the light of day.

Every now and then I will get a sample of something I really want to try, and it's almost as exciting as the shopping process. Take for instance the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer that I recently got to try out:

This is one of the most popular primers in the market and I was so excited to finally try it out. It is a white gel-like primer that goes on clear once you blend it out. It looks a bit glossy, but once it is completely blended out and dries, it is completely natural looking and transparent: